Feminism: an egalitarian perspective

We live in a Patriarchal society where domination and force are the name of the game, and raw power is centered in the hands of a few financially and politically connected individuals, most of them white, and most of them male. This situation is obviously unacceptable, and feminism was born in reaction to this injustice. However, in its effort to shift the balance of power, the women's rights movement has ended up emulating the mentality and behavior of men. Feminists have fought for equality at all cost rather than addressing the pattern of domination itself, and in doing so they have lost their way.

It is a mistake to think that women can change the system by becoming like men. The problem isn’t “who” has the most power to dominate and control, and the solution certainly isn't to share those patriarchal positions equally between the sexes. The paradigm of hierarchal authority structures where subordinates obey or face grave consequences will never lead to lasting freedom no matter who is calling the shots.

Are we really better off with Condoleezza Rice running the state department? Does it really matter if it is a woman or a man that orders an air strike or who authorizes the torture of prisoners? I think by now it should be clear that women are perfectly capable of being as cut throat and heartless as men in the realms of politics and business. Yes, women are capable of sinking to the same lows achieved by men, but why would you want to? Not all forms of equality are worth fighting for.

What is feminism anyway? If we are talking about feminism you would think that the focus would be centered on the promotion of the feminine: Communication, and empathy rather than control and intimidation, Egalitarianism rather than authoritarianism, nurturing rather than exploitation. These are the qualities that I consider inherent in a Matriarchal paradigm, and in a true matriarchal society it wouldn’t matter whether the leaders were male or female. It wouldn’t matter because in a true feminist society domination would not be accepted.

Modern feminism has become something of a contradiction of terms, an ironic misnomer if you will. Instead of changing society to reflect their ideals, they have sought to change themselves in order to climb the social ladder, and in doing so they have actually become masculinist. (Did I just make up a new word?)

What we need is to transform society, not by creating a culture where women emulate men in all their destructiveness, but rather where women exert their influence to shift the thinking and behavior of their male counter parts. Women are powerful, but until they come to terms with where their power lies they will remain pawns in a patriarchal society.